O2 or EE for 4g

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

Old mutton chops here is thinking of trading up her iPhone 5 to the new 6 128gb.

Currently on three £15 a month pay as you go which doesn't officially include tethering and its throttled from 3pm to midnight.

Last time I just purchased the iphone from apple and bunged a sim in it. I am after data as my phone is my modem.

I have considered these two tariffs:

O2 paying 209.99 towards the phone the. £48 a month for 24 months. I also through my sister get 30% off O2 refresh plans. It seems also that on O2 they sensibly split the device payment from the airtime. Does anyone here know much about this?

The alternative is EE paying £409.99 for the phone then 38.99 pcm for airtime but the device cost is bundled into that. Quidco do £46 cash back.

I thought O2 were quite poor on the 4g coverage and EE were better and faster?

Each plan gives 20gb data and unlimited calls and texts.

Frozen_up_north

An iPhone 5 will work on EE's 4G, so save yourself a lot of expense and keep the phone, go SIM only with EE. As you may be aware, the older iPhone 5 will only give 4G on 3 or EE, not Voda or O2.

Also, around here in East Yorkshire, O2 and Vodafone have awful 3G (let alone 4G) coverage. 3 and EE are far better. Your area may be better served. Check using the Rootmetrics App, which shows measured results on a map for the four UK networks.

I am using an iPhone 5 on 3, with tethering courtesy of the legacy "One Plan"... Sadly no longer offered. The phone was purchased SIM free directly from Apple, so I am able to swap networks with 30 days notice.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

On a customer service note a quick google of all the mobile network operators reveals one star ratings. Are they all that terrible?

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

An iPhone 5 will work on EE's 4G, so save yourself a lot of expense and keep the phone, go SIM only with EE. As you may be aware, the older iPhone 5 will only give 4G on 3 or EE, not Voda or O2.

Also, around here in East Yorkshire, O2 and Vodafone have awful 3G (let alone 4G) coverage. 3 and EE are far better. Your area may be better served. Check using the Rootmetrics App, which shows measured results on a map for the four UK networks.

I am using an iPhone 5 on 3, with tethering courtesy of the legacy "One Plan"... Sadly no longer offered. The phone was purchased SIM free directly from Apple, so I am able to swap networks with 30 days notice.

I have considered SIM only to retain the phone and that would be the way I'd like to go but I can't find a SIM only plan on any network offering 20gb data allowance. My tether is my home internet and I use up to 15gb a month sometimes more. The only plans I can find offering a generous data allowance are bundled with handsets!!!

pepdavies

Realistically, how often do you speak to customer service? I wouldn't choose a network based on their call centre. Look at coverage and value for money. EE offers neither in my part of the country. I'm on the same £15 tariff with 3, it's a great deal. I have tethered a few times and they've never noticed.

BJV

Think it will depend on the area. I know lots of people with EE who say it is amazing . But in my area o2 beats it hands down.


P.s Can not wait my new i6 plus should be here 6 weeks and counting!!!!

Barny1979

Personally I wouldn't touch EE with a bargepole from experience of their "customer service".

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

I was looking to sell the iPhone 5 which is a 64gb and also an iPad 3 64gb with SIM slot to fund towards my iPhone 6 upgrade.

I am unsure of the mechanics of the refresh plans. It looks sensible to me splitting the airtime from the device payment plan. Can you pay off the device any time? And is the airtime part just a 30 day rolling agreement. Are O2 iPhones locked and loaded with a lot of O2 software?

With my sisters 30% off it makes my airtime under £20 monthly for unlimited minutes texts and 20gb data!

gcn504

1) If your sister works for O2 it's actually 50% off the airtime contract and 30% off a sim-only contract.

2) There are 'recommended' O2 software that isn't preinstalled but if you click on it - it will take you to the store to download. This includes: O2 Priority (great for the £1 Monday lunch, free Cafe Nero coffees on Tuesday and various other deals). My O2 which is a great way to track your usage (mins/data etc) and a few others such as Evernote Premium (which is currently free for o2 users).

This was certainly the set up I had on my phone.

3) The good thing about the device plan/separation is yes you can pay it off, for example, say the new iPhone 7 comes out (mid-contract), you can use your current phone as part-exchange, either use it to pay off the remainder left on the agreement or put it towards the cost of the new phone.

Also, the phone/device part of the contract is interest free.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

I'm trying to fathom out if it is just the device part of the plan that is 24 months or is the airtime plan 24 months also or just 30 days. What I mean is if you pay off the device in full if you need to move from O2 can you just give 30 days notice... Am I making sense?

My sister gets 30% off or maybe 50% if you think and it's for up to five family and friends.

Online O2 do a refresh plan where you pay £789.99 upfront for the phone and there are no repayments surely the airtime wouldn't be 24 months if you just buy the handset like that?

gcn504

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

I'm trying to fathom out if it is just the device part of the plan that is 24 months or is the airtime plan 24 months also or just 30 days. What I mean is if you pay off the device in full if you need to move from O2 can you just give 30 days notice... Am I making sense?

My sister gets 30% off or maybe 50% if you think and it's for up to five family and friends.

Online O2 do a refresh plan where you pay £789.99 upfront for the phone and there are no repayments surely the airtime wouldn't be 24 months if you just buy the handset like that?

Ah, the 30% discount you mention sounds like the O2 Open scheme where she works for a particular company and gets 30% discount off the airtime part of the contract and is able to extend this offer to 5 people. Note - I think the iPhone6 is excluded (for the time being) on this offer. Best to check instore.

Just chatted with an o2 guru online and this was the response I got:

"Yes, once you pay off the phone plan you can cancel/upgrade your contract anytime."